Minimum Age for waterpark

[WLGirl]

We are heading down in a couple of weeks and we are bringing my daughters friend. They plan on going to Blizzard Beach one day. The friend is 16 and my daughter is 15. Are there rules that they have to be accompanied by someone over 18 or can they go by themselves? Not sure I want them to go by themselves but just checking just in case.

[kakn7294]

As crazy as it sounds, I believe that the minimum age to enter a waterpark without an adult is only 10.

[Bucs300]

I believe that is correct. 10 for waterparks and 7 for theme parks. How crazy is that?? According to Disney your 7 year old is old enough to go to a park alone I guess.

[BrerGnat]

I was going to say, we went to the waterparks as teens when we were young without our parents. I believe my OLDER sister was only 14 or 15 and she was in charge of me and my younger sister (who was 10).

Now, I would be sure to sit them both down and have a serious talk about the "fun" some men like to have with young girls in the wave pools, and warn them what to do if someone is behaving inappropriately or makes them feel uncomfortable at any time.

[blondeinbrandon]

Not sure about the water parks but the main parks you have to be 13 to enter without an adult.
Technically in the State of Florida your child must be over 12 to be left unattended.
If you aren't comfortable with them going alone then say no. You still get to be in charge of her for a few more years. There must be a reason you feel uneasy, Moms are usually right!
I say "Say No".

[BrerGnat]

Not sure about the water parks but the main parks you have to be 13 to enter without an adult.

That's not true. It's 10. Which is shocking, really, when you think about it.

The laws in FL regarding being left unattended apply to residences, hotels, that sort of thing. However, Disney allows kids 10 and up to enter the park as "adults".

[jonahbear2006]

ive heard 10, too, and im not appalled nor shocked. There may be some immature 10 yr olds out there but for as many of them as there are, there are mature 10 yr olds, too, who can handle themselves quite well. I can say, without a doubt, that I can leave my 11 year old anywhere (not that i do) and trust that she will take good care of herself. That isnt to say that other people dont come into play in her life and could affect the outcome, however, we cannot keep our children in a bubble. they could just as easily get hurt at home, under the supervision of their dear mother.

[magicofdisney]

Kids are allowed to ride theme park rides by themselves at the age of 7. I was grateful for this allowance because I travel alone often with my 4 children. When my girls turned 7, I could walk them through the queue (or stand just outside it, depending on the ride) and allow them to ride while I attended their 2yo brother.

While I have one child that could completely handle himself at the age of 10, another would be lost. It really does depend on the maturity and temperament of each child.

[K8screen]

I have never understood why lawmakers in UK, and also apparently from what a previous poster said, in US, seem to think it is not safe to leave your 11 year old in the house alone, for even a few minutes, while it is quite ok to send them out alone into a park or just kick them onto the street for hours one end. I dont follow the logic there.

[jonahbear2006]

I think leaving your child in a park or home alone depends entirely on THAT child and I think that is the way it works mostly here in the states once they hit 10,11,12...etc...they recommend you wait to leave children to sit and be alone til they are 14 however I dont think this is completely black and white. there are 16 yr olds that def. should never be left to themselves and their are 11 yr olds who are completely capable of taking care of themselves and another child.

[K8screen]

I agree some 10 year olds are responsible and some 16 year olds very definitely are not! But at any age I think a child is safer in their own home alone than in a park or worse still wandering the streets, but the law seems to disagree.

[Patricia]

I started attending Disneyland, with only my same age friends, at the age of 12. One of our parents would leave us at the Disneyland Hotel in the morning and another would pick us up there at 10:00. By age 14 pick up time was changed to midnight. I must say.. at 12, I was responsible and well behaved, even cautious. At 14.. maybe not so much. Keep in mind that would have been the 70's and things were different then. Our parents didn't seem to have as much to worry about.

I would never have left my own kids alone in a Disney park at 12.. but I did allow my son to leave Epcot (at age 14) and go back to the PO Resort because he was hot and whiny.

[iceicebritney]

I went to the Water Parks by myself at 10. My girlfriends and I were running around the Water Parks in our early teens all day and night long. Years back the water parks used to host beach parties, I'm not sure if they still do these, but they were a blast for teens! I have never had a problem in the water parks, but I was also raised to be aware of my surroundings. Disney World is generally a safe place.